Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 78749 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 394(@200wpm)___ 315(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78749 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 394(@200wpm)___ 315(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
“Watch where the fuck you’re going!” Jetson yells, rolling down his window, and I start to open my mouth to tell him to slow down, but before I can he peels off, causing dust to fill the air and tiny rocks to fly out around me.
With my hands trembling and my heart beating wildly, I shake my head then glance both ways to make sure there aren’t any more cars coming before I rush to mine and get in. Once I have the door closed, I pull out my cell phone, and even though I don’t like being the kind of person to tell on someone, I know I need to call the principal to let her know what happened. Hopefully, she will tell Jetson he needs to slow down when he’s near the school, even if there aren’t normally kids in the teachers’ parking lot. I get off the phone with her a few minutes later after she assures me that she will have a talk with him, and by the time I put my car in Drive, I’m not shaking like I was. I go directly to the drug store, and when I arrive, my cell phone beeps telling me I have an incoming message.
Dinner tonight?
I stare at the simple text from Gareth then look through my windshield at the drug store I’m parked in front of and close my eyes. Last night with Gareth and his boys was perfect, and waking up this morning in his arms was something I could seriously get used to. That said, I’ve been thinking all day about what Mitchell said, about wanting a sister or more specifically I’ve been thinking about Gareth’s reaction to the statement.
Logically, I know it’s way too early in our relationship—or whatever this is—to be thinking about children, but I can tell that, where my feelings toward him are concerned, I’m already falling. And after spending time with Max and Mitchell, I know I could easily fall in love with both boys. But at the end of the day, I do want kids, and if Gareth doesn’t want more, I don’t know if it makes even a little sense for us to keep seeing each other.
Busy tonight, another time? I stare at the text after I type it out, feeling my stomach turn as my fingers hover over the Send button. Pressing Delete until the words disappear, I know I’m totally screwed. What time?
Six. Bring stuff to sleep over.
My heart pounds. I can’t sleep over. I need to catch up on some work tonight.
Bring it with you.
I let out a deep breath and try again. I don’t feel right leaving my cat alone so much.
I stare at my phone, waiting for him to reply, and then jump when it suddenly rings and his name appears. Sliding my finger across the screen, I put it to my ear. “Hey.”
“Do you really have a cat, or are you trying to get out of staying with me?” he asks, sounding like he’s fighting back laughter.
“I really have a cat.” I roll my eyes, wondering who would lie about having a cat.
“Where was he the other night?”
“I didn’t say he likes me enough to be around me,” I grumble.
He starts to laugh. “You could bring him with you tonight.”
“I’m not bringing my cat to your house.” I balk at the suggestion.
“Why not? The boys and I like animals.”
“Melbourne doesn’t like humans. He barely tolerates me, and I think the boys might wonder why I’m showing up to dinner with my cat and all the things he needs, if I’m just supposed to be there for a couple of hours before going back home.”
“True.”
“Wow, did you just agree with me?”
“I guess I did,” he says, and I can’t help but smile. “I’m sure he’ll be okay without you for the night,” he adds, and I sigh. I should have known he wasn’t giving up.
“Gareth.”
“Don’t you want to stay over?”
I do. I want to stay over. I want to spend time with him and his boys. I want to get to know all of them. I just know I’m digging a deeper hole for myself by doing that. “I do. I just—”
“Where are you now?” he cuts me off before I can finish my sentence, not that I know what I was going to say.
“What?”
“Where are you right now?”
I look through the windshield and my muscles bunch. “Umm… at the store?”
“Are you asking me if you’re at the store or telling me that’s where you are?”
Seriously, why is he so annoying? “Why are you so annoying?”
“You only think I’m annoying because I can read you already. So, where are you?”
“The drug store,” I tell him, and like a switch is flipped, he goes completely silent. I don’t even hear him breathe. “Gareth?” It takes him so long to answer I almost pull my phone away to see if the call is still connected.